Catamenial appliance.



E. STEELE. CATAMENIAL'APPLIANCE APPLICATION FILED APR-17.1918.

w N. w r0 1 z r p A j d LQbU M H Le a D1 and be tied together,

EVA STEELE, OFGHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GATAMENIAL APPLIANCE.

,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Catamenial Appliances, of which I. do declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this speclfication.

The invention consists in the features of novelty hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and particularly pointed out in the claim at the end of this specification. Figure 1. is a perspective view of the body of the appliance of my invention. Fig. 2 is a view in central vertical cross section through the appliance as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail plan view of the shield in extended position.

In the drawing, 10 and 11 designate respectively front and rear supporters which will be'provided at their upper ends with suitable means whereby they may be suspended from the wearers waist. The front supporter, 10 is provided. with tapes 12 adapted to pass around the wearerswaist and similarly, the rear supporter 11 is shown as tapes or straps 13 that pass around the wearers waist and are tied together; al though obviously, other suitable means may be employed for suspending the supporters from the waist of the wearer. The supporters 10 and 11 may be formed of any suitable thin fabric and as shown, each of porters 10 and 11 are the supporters is reinforced -by vertical tapes or strips 14 that are stitched to the bands 12 and 13 respectively, the lower ends connected together by a cross tape or strip 15 stitched thereto. 0th the front and rear supporters are provided on their outer surfaces with fastening devices to which maybe de-. tachablyand adjustably connected the front and rear portions of aprotective shield 17 the preferred construction of which will hereinafter more fully appear. To the'tapes or strips 15 at ing safety pins or other suitable fastening devices 19, to which may be fastened the provided with seam 36. In this way,

the lower ends of the supattached tabs 18 carry- Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 15, 1919,

Application filed April 17, 1918. Serial No. 228,991.

front and rear ends of an absorbent bandage or napkin 20 that will pass between the wearers legs. I

In the preferredembodiment of my invention, the protective shield 17 is formed of thin rubberized cloth or like waterproof fabric 20. At its front upper portion the protective shield 17 is reinforced by a stout tape or strip upper portion of the shield 17 is reinforced by a tape or strip 24, these tapes or strips 23 and 2 f-serving to receive button holes (or other fastening appliances) to engage with the buttons 25 on the outer faces of the front and rea supporters 10 and 11. Preferably, there are a series .of buttons 25, or other fastening devices, vertically disposed so that the shield may beadjusted to con form to the size. of the wearer.

23, and similarly, the rear In order to enable the rotective shield 17 to better conform to the ody and upperleg. portlons of the wearer,

I refer to make the shield 17 'of two pieces 0 fabric united together along the cross seams 26, since by this means the sides of the shield 27 and 28 are given a fullness which will enable them to pass partially around the upperportion of the wearers egs. At each side of the shield 17 and at points where the fulled portions 27 and28 begin, are attached elastic tapes 30. As'shown, each rear end permanently connected to the shield, as at 31, and has its front end formed with a loop 32 to receive a loop 33 that may be detachably secured to. a tap or loop 34.- attached to the border of the shield. V Y

The central portion of the shield 17 is cut away and the cutaway portion is supplied by an oblong strip 35 united to the shield by a the shield can be shaped to better conform to the outline. of the body and when in use the oblong strip 35 will be centrally depressed to form a slight cavity or pouch alon which the bandage or napkin 20 will extend The foregoing description and manner of using my improved appliance will be readily understood by those familiar with this class of devices. When the front and rear supporters 10 and 11 have been suspended from the wearers waist, the ends of the absorbent bandage or napkin 20 will be suspended from the lower ends of the pads or supportof these elastic tapes has its i ers and the front and rear upper portions of the protective shield 17 will be fastened to the buttons or other fastening devices on the outer surfaces of the front and rear support ers 10 and 11. At 'such times as it is unneoessary or undesirable to wear the protective shield 17, it may be readily detached from the supporters 10 and 11. Similarly, when it is desirable to wear simply the protective shield, the absorbent napkin or bandage 20 can be readily detached from the lower ends of the front and rear supporters 10 and 11. Inasmuch as the supporters 10 and 11 are broad and have buttons 25 at their edges and inasmuch-as the upper end portions of the shield 17 are truncated and correspondingly broad and are provided with buttonholes at distances apart, it will be seen that the'upper portion of the shield, particularly at the front, is so held that it will more effectively conform to the outline of the bodyand avoid the danger of displacement; and it will be seen, also, that the expanded side'portions of the shield will extend about and protect the upper leg portions of the wearer, and the tapes or straps 30 being located at a distance below the tops of the front and rear portions of the shield, will encircle the wearers legs in such manner as to most effectively hold the shield in place. v

The precise details of construction above set out may be varied without departing from the splrit of the invention and features of the invention may be employed without its adoption as an entirety.

hat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is an oblong space is formed about the center of the shield, said space terminatin at a distance from the ends thereof; an 0 long strip inserted in said cutaway space and secured at its sides and ends to said shield section to forma pouch to receive a napkin; the outer side portions of each of said shield sections being given such fullness as to cause the shield sections when'in use to snugly fit the wearers le s and assume a substantially vertical position; both said front and rear shield sections having broa'd outer truncated ends tapering from the central portions of the shield and adapted to snugly engage the wearers body and provided with a plurality of means arranged across the upper edges thereof for attachment to front and back supporters; and straps connected to the outer edges of said shield sections at a distance below the upper ends'thereof for holding said shield sections snugly in place.

EVA, STEELE, 

